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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · track · bulb · rash · face · fine · land · chair

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rash — a series
  3. track — a song
  4. rash — hasty
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. track — a path
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chair — a leader
  10. land — ground
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. face — part of the head
  17. land — to come down
  18. track — to keep track
  19. face — to confront
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fine — all right
  22. face — to point toward
  23. spell — magic
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com